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Ohio Tiger Trap The Professional Football Researchers Association The Grange War 1926 By Bob Carroll Red Grange, the greatest name in football, was everyone's hero. breezy, many would say arrogant, manner made him as easy to Lindberg had not yet flown to Paris, and only Babe Ruth ranked dislike as Grange's pleasant personality made him likeable. That higher as a sports personality. Grange on a gridiron guaranteed a was fine with C.C. He was there for money, not love. huge crowd. His endorsement sold pencils, cigarettes, cereal, typewriters, and all sorts of other stuff. He made a movie: One After the introduction of Grange, Pyle got to the point. He Minute to Play; the critics liked it, and the public made it a winner. announced that he and Red had secured a five-year lease on Red's advice was asked, though not followed, by politicians. Every Yankee Stadium for all the Sunday and holiday dates from October football-loving boy in America wanted to be Red Grange. Every 15 to December 31. They proposed running their own franchise. man who ever played the game or dreamed of it wanted to be his C.C. painted a convincing picture. With the biggest stadium in the buddy. Every woman with a yen for muscles fantasized him as her country and the biggest star in football, the league members all lover. 1925 was Grange's year; the same could be said for 1926 -- stood to profit greatly. though in a different way. The NFL's '25 messiah became its '26 adversary. All but one. Tim Mara had purchased his Giants franchise the year before because of its exclusivity. Wasn't that the purpose of a The redhead from Illinois was big, certainly bigger than that league franchise? In the name of profit, would the league set aside Mara's -- uh, what was it called? Despite the increased status gained by rights and allow a new franchise in Yankee Stadium across the the Grange Tours of 1925, pro football in general and the NFL in Harlem River, less than a thousand yards away from the Polo particular still ranked far behind college football as an attraction. Grounds? When Americans thought of pro football, which was still not that often, the first name that came to mind was never Joe Carr or A couple of owners didn't have to think twice before jumping on the George Halas or even Jim Thorpe; it was Red Grange. Grange-wagon. A.H. Bowlby of Rock Island bubbled over. Dutch Sternaman went for it, and even George Halas was non-committal. As the National Football League looked toward only its seventh Mara found himself in a minority. Nevertheless, he was a minority season, it knew it had to deal in some way with Grange. Red was a with an exclusive franchise -- in writing. Pyle later claimed that 19 free agent. The agreement C.C. Pyle had hammered out with of the assembled 20 owners favored admitting a Yankee Stadium Halas and Sternaman for the 1925 Tours contained no reserve Grange team. But, as much as the other owners wanted Grange in clause making Red Bears property in '26. Pyle offered the the NFL, he couldn't be in New York unless Mara said okay. Redhead's services to Halas and Sternaman for a five-figure contract and one-third ownership of the Bears -- and was turned That evening, a couple of owners attempted a compromise. down. Perhaps Mara would be willing to countenance a Grange in Brooklyn. Perhaps Pyle would be willing to back off -- to Ebbets RED ARRIVES Field, ten miles from the Polo Grounds. A meeting was arranged Grange and Pyle attended the NFL's annual winter meeting, held at between Mara and Pyle. It was doomed. Mara had developed a Detroit's Hotel Statler on Saturday, February 6, 1926. Red was healthy dislike for Pyle's arrogance the year before when received as Paris later welcomed Lindberg. As usual, his modesty negotiating the Grange Tour into the Polo Grounds. Now C.C. was and All-America demeanor charmed everyone. Even in the difficult treating him as a tiresome obstacle to a New Dawn and Tim had days that followed, few club owners had a bad word to say about his Irish up. According to one witness, Mara came close to Grange. punching C.C.'s lights out. Their epithets were reserved for Pyle, who was recieved as Paris That Mara's refusal to be bulldozed was fueled by self-interest laster welcomed Hitler. To the NFL owners, C.C. was a diabolical goes without saying. He saw no profit in allowing his Giants to Svengali leading the trusting Redhead to ruin. In picturing Grange become New York's "second" team. But beyond that, he could think as an innocent dupe and Pyle as evil incarnate, they underrated of long-term profits as opposed to quick riches. If the league caved Grange and over-indicted Pyle. C.C. was only capitalizing on Red's in this time, what would happen when next year's "Grange" came fame, something that every man in the room was anxious to do. along and wanted a slice of Chicago? And the year after that, The only difference was that, unlike the others, Pyle was would Philadelphia be given away to another college star? Who determined Grange would receive the biggest share of the was running this show anyway? The league or the stars? capitalization. Red, who was certainly no pawn, knew full well that Pyle was his way to the lion's share in that lions' den. Pyle's The Professional Football Researchers Association Faced with Mara's intractable stance, the league had no choice but student-athletes would be willing to challenge that rule in the courts to bid a regretful adieu to Grange. Okay, announced Pyle, he and as a violation of their right to earn a living. Grange would still be in Yankee Stadium in the fall -- in a new league. THE GRANGE LEAGUE C.C. Pyle immediately began negotiations with several cities that The NFL owners went on with their meeting, upholding Carr's 1925 had previously expressed an interest in joining the NFL. Among actions in suspending Pottsville, fining the Cardinals, and forcing rumored possibles were a St. Louis team backed by baseball great the sale of the Milwaukee franchise. Then they re-elected Carr Rogers Hornsby and a Cincinnati team to be owned by Reds owner president. Although these actions seemed on the surface Garry Herrmann. Supposedly Pyle received five reguests for teams unconnected to the "Grange Situation," they actually were a from Chicago and three from Brooklyn. Pyle's PR gave the necessary step in polarizing the NFL and Pyle-Grange. Pottsville's impression that investors were beating his door to splinters. punishment resulted from Carr's defense of franchise integrity, that is, the exclusive right of an NFL franchise holder to stage games At the same time, to give his league an air of legitimacy, Pyle involving NFL teams within its own territory. Carr's penalties of the looked for a nationally-known figure to front as president. After Cards and Milwaukee concerned player eligibility, a second side of being turned down by famed sportswriter Grantland Rice, he the Grange problem. By supporting Carr's decisions and by re- settled on William "Big Bill" Edwards, the Princeton All-America of electing him, the owners endorsed his vision of the league's future. the 1890's. Edwards had become a New York politico and served in such non-sports capacities as Collector of Internal Revenue and The eligibility part was an old story. Pro football had been criticized Street Cleaning Commissioner. His last known direct connection for years for playing college boys under assumed names. Although with football had been as a game official in 1907 and his only some of the many independent teams across the country still found affiliation with pro football was as referee for the Franklin- places for mysterious "Smith's" and "Jones's," by 1926 the NFL Watertown game at Madison Square Garden in 1904. Pyle got "Big was far past that stage. Milwaukee's use of high schoolers in 1925 Bill" for a promised $25,000, and Edwards ascended to his office was an anomaly in violation of existing rules. But, no rules covered with a ringing speech about preserving "high-class football" and a situation like Grange's. Red had completed his football eligibility "red-blooded sport." at the University of Illinois when he signed with the Bears. He was, however, still eligible for other sports such as basketball, baseball On July 17, Pyle announced the make up of his new American and track until he put his name on the dotted line. Moreover, his Football League. Three clubs were clustered around New York: pro football tours had taken him out of school, thus depriving the Pyle's New York Yankees, featuring Grange; the Brooklyn young millionaire of his degree. The league had been damned in Horsemen, promising to field the more famous Horsemen of Notre press and on campus for its precipitous signing of the Redhead. Dame; and the Newark Bears, made up mostly of southern players. To avoid further criticism, the owners adopted the following The Boston Bulldogs brought a group of Ivy Leaguers into the AFL. resolution: The Philadelphia Quakers were owned by Leo Conway, the one- time "boy manager" of an earlier Quaker team. The Cleveland That the National Football League ... places itself on Panthers looked to be made up of players from the 1925 NFL record as unalterably opposed to any encroachment Bulldogs.
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